HIJACK
by ShadowEidolon
Summary: Red-X is a thief and the Titans are heroes. There is no argument about that. But when one of Red-X's new toys falls into the wrong hands, he needs to turn to the Titans in order to steal it back.
1. First Impressions

Thieves smoke. Every movie you watch, every book you read, the antihero undoubtedly has a cigarette in his hand. Red-X lit another cigarette, tossing the blackened first out of the shattered window behind him. He couldn't quite remember when he had picked up the addiction, and didn't quite care. Perhaps it was when he first raided this trashed apartment for supplies. The rotting walls and broken furniture didn't provide much besides a place to rest while police officers swept the streets trying to find him, but whoever last resided here must have either sold drugs or had a serious addiction problem, so Red-X had more than enough to satisfy his budding addiction. Unfortunately, smoking was the only activity he was really succeeding in nowadays. Banks had tightened security, jewelry stores had drastically improved protection, and not even he could get close to where the real loot was. Titans Tower. Red-X knew from experience that the Titans held much more "security" than most countries had. Their "Trophy Room" was stocked with all the firepower the assorted super-villains of Jump City had utilized over the years. The Red-X suit was the prize of the collection, but it was the only good he had managed to procure before he had to make his escape. If only he could have five more minutes in that Tower...

Red-X exhaled a puff of smoke, extinguishing the remainder of the cigarette in a makeshift ashtray. He was kidding himself. He was lucky to break into the tower the first time. He couldn't manage it twice. Besides, his eyes were on a bigger prize than the Tower. Unfortunately, the keys to the treasure in mind had been stolen. It was Red-X's plan to reacquire them. His only regret was that he would need assistance.

Red-X stood up and stretched. No pain, no gain. He'll have to ask for, no, bargain for help from those he knew would have a death wish against him. Adjusting his mask, Red-X climbed upon the decrepit windowsill. Besides, he chuckled. The Titans would probably enjoy some company. With that, he dove into the night of the city.

* * *

As a matter of fact, the last thing the Titans needed was company. Beast Boy's infamous sense of humor and misfiring practical jokes had returned since the unfortunate incident involving six cans of green paint, a malfunctioning model volcano, and a case of mistaken identity. This time Robin had tripped a booby trap meant for Cyborg, burying him under eighty servings of instant tofu. By the time the furious Boy Wonder had managed to dig himself out from the cheap animal product imitations, Beast Boy had already accidentally knocked two cans of Cyborg's motor oil onto Raven in an escape attempt, and become entangled in yet another of his own traps. All in all, what had started as a relatively peaceful night had degraded into a dangerous game of "Catch the Bird-Dog-Salmon-Bear-etc." Finally Robin and Raven cornered Beast Boy in the garage.

"C'mon, guys, take a joke? I didn't... I mean couldn't... I mean wouldn't..." Beast Boy stammered nervously, shaking as two angry Titans closed in on him.

"In what world, Beast Boy," Robin growled, "Does a mountain of tofu pass as a joke?"

Raven practically glowed with fury. "In the same world where the jokester finds it acceptable to dump two cans of oil onto yet another person."

Beast Boy's eyes grew wide, backing up as cars as he could against the T-Car. "Those were meant for Cyborg! I wouldn't pull those on you guys! Honest!"

Much to Beast Boy's dismay, Cyborg and Starfire chose that exact moment to poke their heads through the doorframe.

"Hey, I don't want to interrupt a BB barbecue, but could someone please explain why there's the Kilimanjaro of tofu in the kitchen?" Cyborg asked.

Starfire nodded. "Yes, and why is there a bucket of the water on the door of Robin's and Raven's room?"

Slowly, both Raven and Robin turned to face Beast Boy, who looked like a deer caught in the headlights.

"Heh, heh. Surprise?" Beast Boy's face fell, accepting his inevitable fate. "Okay, just please avoid the face."

Apparently, fate sided with Beast Boy that day, for the crime alarm began to blare, red lights flashing throughout the Tower.

Robin whipped around to face Cyborg. "Petty crime or major threat?" he demanded.

Cyborg checked a terminal situated near the entrance of the garage. "Neither," he reported. "Security breach. I'm trying to track the signal." Cyborg's finger raced across the keyboard. The alarms suddenly ceased flashing, and the siren faded from a piercing screech to silence.

Raven turned to Cyborg, raising an eyebrow. "Did you shut down the alert system?"

Cyborg shook his head. "It was shut down manually from the main computer."

Robin darted towards the stairs. "Someone's up there. Cyborg, seal all the exits!"

"Already on it," Cyborg shouted after him. Robin was soon followed Raven and Starfire, until only Beast Boy and Cyborg stood in the garage.

Cyborg looked up from the computer monitor briefly. "You might wanna think up a better excuse before they remember they want to kill you," he advised.

Beast Boy snapped out of his fear-induced state and ran after the other Titans, praying silently they wouldn't remember he had an appointment with the business end of Robin's staff.

Upon reaching the main hallway, Robin suddenly halted, causing Beast Boy to run straight into him, knocking himself over.

"Dude, why did-" Beast Boy's complaint died in his throat when he realized why Robin had stopped. Every window, every door, even some of the walls in the Tower hallway were half-melted, each sporting the iconic X-shaped hole.

Starfire gasped. "Those belong to-"

"Red-X," Robin finished, eyes narrowing.

The Public Address System in the Tower crackled to life. "Y'all better get moving," Cyborg's voice reported. "He's in the living room!"

The Titans raced through melted corridors, occasionally passing rooms freshly wallpapered with red X's. Robin threw the doors open to the living room. There, lying sprawled on the couch, soda in hand, was Red-X. He glanced up at the Titans.

"Took you long enough," he declared. "What does a thief have to do to get caught around here?"

* * *

(Note: I do not own Teen Titans)

Sorry that it is short, but this is my first fanfiction.


	2. Diplomacy

"Four minutes, twenty-eight seconds," Red-X reported, tossing his soda into the wastebasket. "In that time I could have attacked the Tower, stolen anything, and have been on my merry way. You're getting sloppy, kids."

Few people could insult, attack, and humiliate the Titans all at the same time. Unfortunately for the Titans, Red-X was one of them. Robin whipped out his staff and attacked Red-X with a fury that would make most criminals want to crawl under a rock and hide. Unfortunately for Robin, Red-X wasn't the common criminal. Without even spilling his soda, Red-X backflipped off the back of the sofa and summersaulted over Robin's head. Red-X grinned under his mask. Getting under Robin's skin was almost as enjoyable as watching Robin completely fail in combat against him. Red-X landed directly on top of the kitchen counter. He reached onto the fridge and grabbed another can of soda.

"Seriously, kid," Red-X chuckled, popping the lid of his soda. "You need to learn a few new tricks."

Red-X's soda was suddenly pierced by one of Robin's signature sonic disks. Red-X looked at it with mild interest for a moment, then tossed it over his shoulder. The can exploded in midair, showering the Titans with shards of aluminum and droplets of soda.

Red-X shook his head, looking almost disappointed. "Someone needs to teach you a few lessons about combat."

Suddenly Red-X was yanked off his feet, held upside-down by the ankles, encased in an aura of black energy.

"Lesson one," Raven stated calmly. "Never let your guard down."

Red-X wagged his finger at her, like one would to a naughty child. "Lesson two, sorceress," he scolded. "Never leave the hands free." His hand flew to his belt, pressing the buckle. Red-X vanished, escaping his confinement. A moment later, he reappeared behind Raven, giving her a swift, powerful kick in the back. Raven stumbled forward, then whipped around, eyes glowing red with anger. Red-X turned to Beast Boy, stretching as if he were just warming up.

"By the way," he stated, as if he were simply making conversation, "I heard about your girlfriend. You lost track of her. She joined the enemy and turned into a statue. Then you lost track of the statue. Great job."

Beast Boy glared at him with all the hate he had. "Shut up!" he shouted, charging at Red-X in anger. Halfway to Red-X, he morphed into a bull, blinded by rage. Red-X leapt into the air, used Beast Boy as a springboard, and catapulted himself to the far side of the room. Beast Boy, on the other hand, tried to turn, lost control, and crashed into Robin and Raven.

"Olé," Red-X muttered. He then turned to the only Titan still standing: Starfire. The Tamaranian's eyes glowed green with anger. Immediately she launched a volley of starbolts at Red-X, who flipped, dodged, and rolled, avoiding every bolt of green energy. Red-X then threw a palm-sized X towards Starfire. While flying towards her, the X expanded into a large scarlet net, entangling Starfire within. She fell backwards, struggling against the net that confined her.

Red-X surveyed the carnage. Starfire trapped in the net, Raven and Robin pinned beneath an upside-down rhino, Beast Boy being said rhino, and Red-X never even had to draw his knives. Much easier than he thought it was going to be. Red-X relaxed, leaning against the door to the living room.

"Red-X: four, Titans: nothing," he chuckled. "Your move."

Suddenly the door behind him whooshed open, causing Red-X to fall backwards, cracking his head against the floor. Red-X found himself looking up at a half-man, half-machine hybrid.

"Checkmate," Cyborg declared. Then a fist the size and weight of an anvil smashed down on Red-X's face.

* * *

The first thing Red-X checked when he regained consciousness was if he still wore his mask. Surprisingly, his mask still clung to his face. He could of sworn at least one of the Titans would pull at least try to remove it. The second fact he noticed was that he was strapped to a cot. The room he was restrained in was dark, but he could make out the devices around him. Medical machines stood silent nearby, alongside security cameras and sound monitors. Obviously this room was meant to be a medical ward, but the Titans needed to find a place to restrain him. Apparently this cot was their best option. Red-X close his eyes and focused. He could make out faint voices coming from the other side of the door, muffled but detectable.

"He wouldn't risk such an obvious attack unless he had something to gain. What is he trying to pull?" Robin's voice mused.

"Whatever he's doing, he wanted to get caught. He wasn't attempting to steal anything or do any purposeful destruction." Raven's voice this time.

"No purposeful destruction? He wrecked the Tower's computer system! The algorithms alone will take me weeks to reprogram!" Cyborg's voice complained. Red-X grinned in spite of himself. One little virus did way more damage than even he had expected. The Titans will have their hands full for weeks.

"He's awake," Robin announced.

Suddenly the door was thrown open, casting a blinding beam of light into Red-X's eyes. Robin, Cyborg, and Raven walked through, flipping on the lights as they entered. Red-X noticed the absence of the orange and green one, but didn't mention it.

"Thanks for the hospitality. I could have just gotten a hotel, but this is much better." Red-X remarked, stretching as far as his bonds would allow. Robin glared at him.

"Red-X," he growled.

Red-X whistled. "Wow, you remembered my name. What gave it away? The X on my face or the stockpile of red, X-shaped gadgets?"

Raven stepped forward. "You attacked the Tower without even trying to steal anything. Why? You're smart enough to know you can't defeat us in a fight."

"I'm touched. Can't a thief just say hello to the team who gave him his suit? Sorry, I forgot to send the thank you card."

Robin gritted his teeth, obviously trying to keep himself from strangling Red-X. Cyborg decided to step in before one of the two ended up killing the other.

"We put your belt and gadgets in high security. You won't be seeing them again." Cyborg announced.

Red-X smirked under his mask. "High security? Like the Tower's defense system? I'm terrified."

Cyborg grimaced, remembering the damage to his beloved tower. Red-X turned to the other Titans.

"You don't like me. I don't like you. Nothing wrong with that. The problem is that you have bigger troubles."

Raven raised an eyebrow. "What 'troubles' are you talking about?"

Red-X chose not to answer the question. "Where's the Beast Kid and the alien?"

Robin frowned. "Out on night patrol. It's their shift. Why?"

Perfect, Red-X thought. "When did they last check in?"

Cyborg frowned, flipping open the communicator built into his arm. "BB, Star, check in."

He was answered by the drone of static. Cyborg stared at the visual display, confused. "BB, Star, report."

Still no answer beyond the crackle of static. Robin glared at Red-X. "What did you do to them?" he demanded.

"Nothing," Red-X responded calmly, "I'm not the one you have to worry about."

Robin clenched his fist. "Who are you working for?"

Red-X tried to keep himself from laughing. "Working for? Kid, you really have no idea who you're dealing with, do you?"

Robin drew a bird-a-rang and held it against Red-X's throat. Both Cyborg and Raven looked surprised by this, but Red-X wasn't. It wasn't difficult to push the Boy Wonder out of his comfort zone. All it took was a little loss of control.

"I'm going to ask this only once," Robin growled, "Who. Is. Responsible. For. This."

If Red-X was the least bit worried, he didn't show it. "Have you ever heard of a gentlemen by the name of Slade?"

Robin's bird-a-rang clattered to the floor. He looked as though he had just woken up from a nightmare, only to discover that it was still there when he woke up.

"Slade…" he muttered, more to himself than anyone else. Raven stepped forward.

"How do you know Slade is behind this?" she asked calmly, almost as if she were daring him to lie. Red-X took a deep breath. This was the tricky part.

"About a week ago, I discovered a little device called the H.I.J.A.C.K."

Robin and Raven frowned, as if Red-X had just started speaking in Portuguese. Cyborg, however, stumbled as though he had been punched in the gut.

"You messed around with a H.I.J.A.C.K.? And I thought your Xenothium suit was stupid!"

"Hold on," Raven interrupted, "What's a H.I.J.A.C.K?"

"A Hyperbaric Imposition/Jamming Airburst Charge Key," Cyborg answered quietly. "It's built to fire a charge through the atmosphere, immediately subjecting any machine within range to huge amounts of oxygen and hydrogen atoms, immediately destroying the circuitry and rendering it unable to function permanently."

Robin turned and glared at Red-X. "And you sold this superweapon to a madman!"

Red-X shook his head. "I didn't sell it. Slade doesn't buy what he wants. You of all people should know that, kid."

Raven stared at him as if she were trying to figure out a difficult equation. "So you stole a superweapon," she reviewed. "Then you lost said superweapon to a madman, and decided to turn to a group of heroes who already have shown that they want to arrest you."

Red-X shrugged. "Who else do you think could catch Slade? The HIVE?"

Robin narrowed his eyes. "So what do you expect to get out of this?" he inquired.

Red-X shrugged again. "Nothing much. Revenge against Slade for stealing my gadgets, the satisfaction of doing the right thing, and the H.I.J.A.C.K."

Cyborg choked, making sounds similar to those of a strangled cat. "You want the H.I.J.A.C.K.? No way are we risking our lives for a superweapon just so we can turn it over to a thief like you!

Red-X stared at him. "Best case scenario, Slade uses the H.I.J.A.C.K. to take over ONLY Jump City. The most I would do with it is rob a few banks. Reassess your priorities, my friend."

Robin glared at Red-X. "Why do we need to give it to you? We'll find Slade by the end of the week, take the H.I.J.A.C.K., and send you both to jail. No need to give you anything beyond a jail sentence."

Red-X turned his head to face Robin. "The fact is, you don't have until the end of the week. Slade activates the H.I.J.A.C.K. tomorrow night."

Robin looked like he'd just been electrocuted. Cyborg almost choked again. Raven didn't seem to react beyond narrowing her eyes.

"Now I have your attention," Red-X muttered. Then he said, "I know where Slade currently keeps the H.I.J.A.C.K., and how to get to it. I simply need some help breaking in."

"How do we know we can trust you?" Robin demanded.

"You can't," Red-X replied. "You simply can't afford the alternative. For all I know, Slade may activate the H.I.J.A.C.K. a day early, or may have taken your friends as hostage. You may not trust me, but will you risk Starfire and Beast Boy's safety on the slim chance I'm lying?"

Robin glared at him with all the hatred in his being, but then his shoulders slumped, acknowledging defeat. "Fine," he muttered. "Tomorrow morning, you'll bring us to wherever Slade is hiding the H.I.J.A.C.K."

"One problem," Red-X corrected. "There won't be any 'us' in this operation. Only Robin is coming. No one else."

"No way is that happening!" Cyborg protested. "We aren't sending one member of the Titans without the others. This is obviously a trap."

"Feeling especially dense today, are we?" Red-X snarled, allowing his irritation to show. "You're a walking refrigerator. This operation requires a large amount of stealth, which you obviously lack, Robocop."

Cyborg fumed, but Robin cut in before Cyborg could attack the thief.

"If this is a stealth mission, Raven should go with us. She is one of the main reasons our previous stealth-focused missions have succeeded."

Red-X turned towards Raven, as if he were drinking in all the possibilities having her alongside could unlock. Finally, he shook his head.

"Too risky. A smaller team would be preferable. A group bigger than two would be too unwieldy. Besides, unless the Boy Wonder here wants to give up his place, we already have both slots filled."

Robin grimaced. Red-X had played his cards well. If Robin gave up his place in the mission, he would miss his chance to capture Slade. If he stayed, however, Raven's arsenal of powers would be removed from the mission.

"Fine," Robin muttered, defeated. "Cyborg, keep an eye on Red-X. We don't want him to try to pull anything before tomorrow."

"What, still don't trust me?" Red-X mocked.

Robin, silently fuming, turned and walked out into the hallway, followed by Raven. Immediately after the door closed, Robin turned towards Raven.

"Did you detect anything?" he asked.

Raven shook her head. "Nothing. That's the problem. He never lied. Otherwise I would have sensed it. He was telling the truth the entire time."

Robin frowned, glancing towards the room in which Red-X was locked up. "It's just the way he talked, though. There's something he's not telling us. I just don't know what."

Raven nodded her head. "Robin, be careful tomorrow. This could easily be a trap."

Robin turned back towards her, allowing himself a slight grin. "Yeah, because I'm known for being careless."

* * *

Red-X smirked under his mask. He had managed to convince the Titans to assist him in a robbery, isolated the leader from the rest of the group, and guaranteed his own safety, all while strapped to a cot. He glanced at Cyborg, who sat hunched over one of the Tower's computer terminals, grumbling about how the virus had wrecked the security system, completely oblivious to Red-X.

"Let the games begin," Red-X chuckled.

* * *

(Note: I do not own Teen Titans)


End file.
